Religious Groups

Two members of the Sikh congregation embrace during a memorial service honoring victims of a mass shooting at an Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Sikh gurdwara. (AP Photo/ M. Spencer Green)

The United States Department of Justice Community Relations Service works with religious organizations, representing numerous faiths, to address real or perceived hate activity encountered following acts of vandalism or desecration, or to generally reduce tensions resulting from conflicts over the religious observances of the organization and its members. Specifically, CRS assists religious organizations by:

Facilitating dialogues intended to help municipal officials, law enforcement agencies, and the broader community better understand the practices of the congregation and its members;

Helping to prevent and respond to violence against faith-based communities, including the desecration or arson of places of worship and attacks against congregation members;

Helping faith leaders develop and present cultural awareness and cultural competency trainings that are focused on improving relations, reducing tension and stigma, or serving as an introduction to the faith, when new houses of worship are relocating or being planned;

Working to improve relationships with law enforcement, local government agencies, and the broader community following hate activity, when an influx of new or immigrant worshipers occurs, or when there is a general need to enhance mutual trust and respect; and

Performs outreach in the wake of national events that affect religious organizations' members to ensure they are aware of available resources and to facilitate communication between federal, state, and local officials who can provide information on available assistance.

The following examples demonstrate work CRS has done with religious organizations in recent years. CRS's work is further captured in its Annual Reports, which can be found on the CRS Resource Center webpage.

Case Highlights

Minnesota

In June 2011, CRS learned of the arson of an Amish barn in a Minnesota town. CRS met with local police and Amish community leaders to facilitate a dialogue in the aftermath of the barn burning. Amish community leaders indicated that a central tenet of their religion is forgiveness, which mitigated any need for prosecution. The Amish only wanted an opportunity to talk with the suspects in order to understand their motivation for burning down the barn. Prior to the barn burning, there had been unreported incidents of slurs being shouted by passing motorists, objects being thrown at Amish buggies, and petty vandalism. Police explained that the legal system does not allow victims to determine whether suspects should be charged and prosecuted. Police also expressed concern that if the suspects were prosecuted contrary to the wishes of the Amish, the Amish may be reluctant to report future hate crimes. Following the CRS-led dialogue, police increased patrols in the area where Amish farms were located, and CRS worked with Amish leaders and local police to develop an agenda for a town hall style meeting. The town hall meeting provided non-Amish community members with an understanding of the history and background of the Amish way of life, in an effort to prevent future misunderstandings, bias-based incidents, and hate crimes.

Tennessee

Tensions between Muslim residents and community members increased in a Tennessee city after a local religious group announced plans to construct a mosque. Many Muslim community members reported threats, harsh interactions with non-Muslim community members, and a sharp rise in bullying of Muslim students in schools. At the request of another Department of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CRS worked with representatives of the organization planning to build the Mosque, school district officials, local law enforcement, and school resource officers to conduct an Arab-Muslim Cultural Awareness and Protocol training seminar, and to generally facilitate dialogues between the participants and Muslim community leaders. More than 120 people participated in the trainings. In addition to the training participants, several representatives from state human rights organizations, a state department of education, a national civil rights organization, and the area's United States Attorney's Office observed the training.

South Carolina

In August 2010, CRS facilitated a work session between Sikh community leaders and local, state, and federal officials in response to increased racial tension following reports that a State government official allegedly referred to another government official, who was of South Asian descent, as a "rag-head." National Sikh organizations around the country alleged the comment was culturally insensitive and racist. The work session assisted Sikh leaders in prioritizing issues impacting their community, identifying solutions, and listing strategies for implementation. The issues identified were alleged discrimination in the workplace, racial profiling by law enforcement, poor media coverage, bullying in schools, and a general public misunderstanding of Sikh culture. CRS also facilitated a Sikh community forum that included men, women, and youth. Over 160 Sikh community members participated in the session.